1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the production of frozen sweet potatoes and, more particularly, to techniques for producing frozen sweet potatoes having enhanced flavor through the use of natural food seasonings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of methods exist for producing frozen potatoes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,644,129 to Sloan discloses a method in which potato slices are blanched and then frozen. In addition to the '129 patent, many methods for producing frozen potatoes include the step of blanching since it is believed that blanching is necessary to inactivate enzymes, and thus inhibit subsequent discoloration.
As indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,834 to Barnes, blanching, when used with sweet potatoes, not only can lessen the flavor of the potatoes, but it can diminish their color. In the case of sweet potatoes, it is particularly desirable to maintain as much flavor and color as possible. To minimize the adverse effects of blanching, Barnes teaches that sliced sweet potatoes can be blanched at a relatively high temperature, and that flavor loss and color loss can be offset by the subsequent application of orange juice. While the Barnes method presumably represents an improvement over other sweet potato processing techniques that rely on blanching, it is believed that a considerable amount of flavor is still lost, as is evidenced by the need to apply orange juice “to compensate for the loss of flavor during the blanching step.” Desirable, a method for producing frozen sweet potatoes would be available that does not require the use of a blanching operation.
Apart from the use of blanching as a flavor and color preservative technique, there is a shortage of methods for producing frozen potatoes having flavorful coatings, yet the use of a flavorful coating for sweet potatoes is highly desirable. U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,743 to Hullah discloses a method for preparing par-fried sliced potatoes in which the potatoes are sliced and then surface-treated such that the surface sugar molecules and starch molecules are cross-linked. The cross-linked potatoes then are water-blanched and soaked in a solution containing an oxidizer, a non-reducing sugar, and an antioxidant preservative. Subsequent to the cross-linking and soaking steps, the potatoes are par-fried and then are cryogenically cooled for packaging and freezing.
Unfortunately, Hullah's technique requires the use of a blanching step. Further, while Hullah's technique presumably results in extended product storage time through the use of cross linking and soaking steps, it is doubted that these steps could be used to enhance the flavor of the potatoes. Moreover, it cannot be said that Hullah's soaking step involves the application of a flavorful coating as that term is used conventionally.
Despite the existence of the potato-processing techniques described above, there remains a need for a technique for producing frozen sweet potatoes that are both flavorful and easy to store for an extended period of time. Ideally, the sweet potatoes would not be subjected to any processing that would diminish either their flavor or their color. Moreover, the sweet potatoes preferably would be fully prepared before freezing so that they could be prepared for the table with a minimum amount of effort. In addition, the sweet potatoes desirable would be provided with a coating that not only would enhance the flavor of the potatoes, but also would make the potatoes more attractive.